Thursday, December 8, 2016

I am a humanist (#2869)

     I make this claim because I believe in all things human and not in anything beyond that. I don't need to believe in any religion, myth or superstition in order to justify my morality or my ethics. Take this blog for instance. In the heading of it's cover page is a claim that we human beings have three dominant instincts, compassion, curiosity and survival. I order the compassion and curiosity above the survival instinct but in no way without the survival instinct firmly implanted within both. Still though survival is a key instinct not to be discounted as less than important. With compassion, care if you will, and curiosity, which is our wonderment, we have the two main reasons for our evolving growth.
     With compassion and curiosity, we have life with a purpose. We recognize that we have abilities like senses to accumulate data and memories to store that data. In our minds we can reason, analyze and conclude the data into not only simple understandings but also into complex understandings that continue on into comprehensive understandings. That comes from our curiosity. What comes form our compassion is our need for connecting with each other. We are not automatons, we are biological beings in need of an understanding of our emotions and related behaviors. Our species nurtures us from our infancy to our maturity in most cases. We are bound to each other in ways that even extend out to the "lesser species". We have a "heart" within us that demands our attention to each other.
     For me to make up or need a symbol of righteousness to know that I am worthy as a human being is ludicrous. I get my bearings from my human nature, my compassion and my curiosity. Now you may wonder how I deal with our lesser natures of harm and derangement. Simple, they come about due to a lack of both compassion and/or curiosity. Much like emptiness is filled like a vacuum with whatever is available if it is not already filled with compassion and curiosity. My compassion and my curiosity are my fulfillment. They serve as my principles for living as a human being worthy of any moral or ethical equivalent.

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